Mike looked at the distant tower as soon as he jumped out of bed next morning, but there was no one there. Jack took a glance as he was about to go downstairs - and he gave a cry.
Theres someone at the window!
Mike came rushing to see - but Jack pushed him back. Dont go too near our window. If we can see them they can see us - and it looks to me as if its only Mr. Diaz.
The two boys kept back a little so that no one could see them. Yes - it was Mr. Diaz - and he was looking straight at their window.
Keep quite still, Mike, he said. Hes just trying to find out how much we can see of his tower, Im sure!
Mr. Diaz drew back after a while. Dimmy rang the breakfast bell again downstairs, and Peggy came bounding up the winding staircase to find out what the boys were doing.
That day the children began their three-hourly watches - and it was just as Peggy was taking over from Jack about six oclock that evening that they first saw the Prisoner!
Jack had been carving a wooden boat with his penknife, sitting patiently for three hours at one side of the window so that Mr. Diaz would not catch sight of him if he should happen to look out once more. Every minute or two Jack glanced over to the distant tower, but he had seen no one there.
Then Peggy came running up the stairs to take her turn at watching - and just as Jack was getting up from his chair, and Peggy was picking up her knitting, they both happened to glance at the far window.
And they both saw the same thing!
Its a little boy! said Jack, in the greatest astonishment. He doesnt look more than seven or eight!
He doesnt look English, said Peggy. Even from here he looks very dark-haired and dark-eyed.
The little boy in the distant tower leaned on the window-sill. Jack took up the field-glasses that lay near at hand and looked through them. He could then see the little boy looking as near as if he were in the garden of Peep-Hole!
He looks awfully pale and miserable. said Jack. Almost as if he were crying!
Let me see, said Peggy. Jack gave her the glasses. She looked through them. Yes, she said. He certainly does look sad. Im not surprised, either, if hes a prisoner!
Lets wave to him! said Jack suddenly. Hell be glad to see other children. lack leaned right out of his window, and began waving violently.
At first the boy in the tower did not notice. Then Jacks moving arm attracted his attention, and he stared. Jack almost fell out of the window, because he waved so hard. Peggy squeezed beside him and waved too. The boy smiled and waved back. First he put one hand out of the window and then both, and waved them like flags!
Good! Hes seen us, said Jack, pleased. Now the next thing is - how are we going to find out who he is?
Peggy had a good idea. If we did some big letters in black ink, and held them up at the window one after the other, to spell out words, he would know we were friends!
Good idea! said Jack. It looks as if its going to be rainy to-night, so we could all come up here and do the letters then. Dimmys got a friend coming in to see her, I know, so she wont mind us coming up here.
I wonder if shes got some black ink, said Peggy.
Well ask her. Ive got some sheets of drawing paper we can use.
The little boy at the tower window suddenly disappeared and did not come back. I expect somebody came into the tower room and he came away from the window in case they guessed that he was signalling to someone, said Jack.
Mike and Nora came running in through the garden at that moment, for it was raining. They rushed up to the bedroom at the top of their tower to see why Jack hadnt come down to the beach.
When they heard about the boy prisoner in the tower of the Old House, they wished that they had seen him too. They were thrilled when Jack told them that they were all going to make giant black letters so that they might spell out words to the prisoner.
Peggy ran to see if Dimmy had any black ink, but she hadnt.
Ive only the ordinary blue ink, said Dimmy, rummaging in her desk. But look - heres some black charcoal. Will that do instead?
Oh yes! cried Peggy. Thank you, Dimmy. You wont mind if we all play in Mikes bedroom
this evening, will you? You are having a friend to keep you company, arent you?
Oh yes, said Dimmy. Ill be glad to have you four monkeys out of my way! You do what you like up there, but have the windows open so that you get plenty of fresh air.
Oh, well be very particular about the windows, Dimmy! said Peggy, laughing, and she ran off with the box of black charcoal.
She took the big white drawing sheets from her box, and went up to Mikes bedroom. She gave some to each of the children, and opened the box of black charcoal.
We shall make our hands black! she said. Isnt the charcoal nice and black, Mike? The letters we make will show up well, and the prisoner will easily be able to read them.
Make them about a foot and a half tall and as thick as you can, said Jack, sketching out a big letter A. Ill do the first six letters, you do the next six, Mike, Peggy the next six, and Nora the next. Whoever has finished first can do the odd two letters left. Look at my big A! I guess the prisoner could easily see that from his window.